Setting priorities: Goldsboro city officials contemplate the future

Goldsboro City Council, Mayor Al King and City Manager Joe Huffman gathered late last week to talk about the future of the city — and where, in the coming months and years, money should be focused to present the best return for city taxpayers.
Familiar areas were covered — the Paramount Theater rebuilding project, the three-phase City Hall renovation and construction and the proposed development of Stoney Creek Park — in addition to a professed need for more improvements in technology.
There is no guarantee that all of these projects will be funded — or that they will all make the short list for 2006 and beyond.
That will be decided when the council’s wish list is compared to the available money in the budget this year.
And as the decision process continues, it is important for city officials and citizens to really think about where they want Goldsboro to be in 10 years, and what kind of resources it will take to achieve that goal.
That is the most important factor when considering how much money the city will need in the coming years, and where it should be allocated.
The council retreat was a first step. It allowed city officials to examine requests from city department heads and to come up with their own priorities for the coming years.
If taxpayers have a different view, or feel strongly that a project was — or should be — eliminated from that list, they need to speak up and let their elected representatives know their feelings. After the budget and spending plans have been finalized is much too late to have your say.
Goldsboro has a lot of potential for the future. With the right roadmap and spending plan and the support of the community and its leaders — it could be well on its way to realizing its possibilities.